Changes to Easyjet's t+C's for bikes..

It looks like Easyjet have changed their T+C’s for bikes. Here’s a copy of what I’ve just read:

Sports equipment – how does it work?

Sports equipment includes small items suchs as golf bags, ski bundles (skis and ski boots), snowboards, diving equipment, paragliders, pole vault poles and firearms. It also includes large items such as bicycles, canoes and hanggliders. There are separate categories of weight allowance and fees for small and large items.

Adults and children can bring one item of sports equipment in addition to the standard allowance of three items of hold luggage per passenger – please note that each piece of hold luggage has a fee attached to it. Infants don’t have a sports equipment allowance.

Sports equipment items have different weight allowances and charges
For weight allocation and pricing, we divide sport equipment into two categories: small sports equipment and large sports equipment.

Six large sports equipment items only per booking
There’s a limit of six large sports equipment items per online booking – even if there are more than six passengers on the booking. If you wish to carry more than six items, please call Customer Services.

You can’t buy additional weight for sports equipment
It is not possible to purchase additional weight for sports equipment online. If you go to the airport with a small sports equipment item weighing more than 20kg you’ll be charged an excess weight fee.

You can ’pool’ your sports equipment weight allowance
If you purchase the right to bring an item of Sports Equipment, you can ‘pool’ the weight of this item with your other hold luggage.

So it seems that the max weight for a bike is 23kg unless you pool the weight with your 20kg hold luggage.
Was a bit of a shock when I went to book a flight.

Went to Leogang last week with the boy.
Our DH bikes (Session88 and Session8) with all of our body armour and a small bag of tools came in at 23KG and 21.5kg, both in bike bags.
Checkin was fine both ends (Manchester & Munich). We were the only bikes on the plane though.

Flew with Easyjet recently, bought both 20Kg hold allowance and ‘sports equipment’ allowance. Came to an extra £114 pp return. Probably paid for something we didn’t need, but we didn’t want to get to the airport and be stung silly money for excess baggage/incorrect allowance. So do you just need to pay for ‘sports equipment’ allowance (£27 per flight), to get a max. 32kg allowance, or do you need to pay for the hold allowance (£25 for max. 20kg) too? It just seemed too confusing, and tok 3 ‘phone calls to ‘customer services’ to work out that we seemed to need to purchase both.

As mentioned, a 30lb bike with an Evoc soft bag, helmet and some padding pretty much does the 23kg limit. Bit crap really..my old merlin bag made it easy, but died after only two trips and needed alot of extra padding..

Flew with Easyjet recently, bought both 20Kg hold allowance and ‘sports equipment’ allowance. Came to an extra £114 pp return. Probably paid for something we didn’t need, but we didn’t want to get to the airport and be stung silly money for excess baggage/incorrect allowance. So do you just need to pay for ‘sports equipment’ allowance (£27 per flight), to get a max. 32kg allowance, or do you need to pay for the hold allowance (£25 for max. 20kg) too? It just seemed too confusing, and tok 3 ‘phone calls to ‘customer services’ to work out that we seemed to need to purchase both.

It’s £70 for the bikes for a return flight (up to 23kg) and £39 for 20kg of hold luggage. With that you get a max of 43kg of luggage.
With an evoc bag my bike plus shoes, a few tools, inner tubes, knee and elbow pads came in at 29kg. Looks like shoes and whatever else I can get in will go as cabin luggage from now!

When did this change ? Went to Italy for L eroica both bags nearly bang on 32kg both ways with no problem .There were 15 bikes on our plane and several in hard cases like mine which weigh more no one had a problem

I’ve never had a problem with BA and I’ve flown with my bike many times, Turkish Airlines were also pretty chilled. There is a flat fair of €30 for 32kg which you cannot prepay but you get the 32kg on top of your normal luggage allowance which is pretty nice. Give yourself time at the airport to weight your bike at the check-in desk, go to the cash desk and pay then return to check-in to show them your receipt (in Istanbul anyway)although my mate didn’t have to pay, the bastard!

A lot of it actually reads a load of nonesense, we went through this last year and when we got to the airport they didnt even weigh the bags she just asked “roughly what do they weigh” , no problems whatsoever 🙂 theres 6 of this time though so may be a different story

Flew 4 weeks ago with 32kg bike box and 18kg check in, total 50kg with no problem but it does look like the rules have changed. Am I right in assuming that 32kg is still ok but now with a total max of 43kg if you pay for a bike plus a check in bag.

Searching in the help section on the Easyjet web site for bicycles bring up the magic term We have always relied upon in the past.
Important bit in bold

Bicycles
Updated 28/10/2013

Bicycles are permitted for carriage provided that specific criteria is met:

• The bicycle must be packaged in a bicycle box or bag
• Only one bicycle per box/bag is permitted
• The handlebars must be flush with the frame
• Pedals must be removed or flush against the flame

Bicycles with hydraulic suspensions or brake systems will be accepted.

A non-refundable sports equipment fee will be charged. The bicycles are exempt from additional excess baggage charges.

A bicycle can be added at the time of making your booking. Alternatively if you wish to add a bicycle once your booking has been confirmed and your booking was made online at easyJet.com please login to your My easyJet account, locate the required booking and click on ‘Add Sports Equipment’.

If your booking was made through our contact centre, at the airport or by a travel agent you can add a bicycle by contacting our Customer Service Team.

some other airlines have 23kg bike limits. You can get around that by…
– putting bike components (e.g. mechs, chainset, cassettes, etc) in your checked luggage
– wearing your helmet when going through security
– using a hockey bag instead of a proper bike bag
– subtly lifting the bottom of the bag whilst it’s being weighed by the check-in staff. I use my foot. So long as it’s below 30kg in true weight, it shouldnt cause a problem.

I’ve noticed that airlines which allow the bikes to be unpackaged (i.e. not in a bag or box) seem to look after them better. Same for the luggage handlers too.

Of concern to me last time coming back from Malaga I was asked to sign some kind of waiver re. my bike that they weren’t responsible for any damage. No such thing on the outward journey. Anyone had similar?